


all's well that ends well, to end up with you

by selinameyer



Series: another life series [2]
Category: House M.D.
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, wedding fic that i didnt want to write but my friend asked for it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:26:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28687083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selinameyer/pseuds/selinameyer
Summary: sequel to "another life",  house is ready to get married.
Relationships: Lisa Cuddy & Greg House, Lisa Cuddy/Greg House
Series: another life series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2102670
Comments: 5
Kudos: 14





	all's well that ends well, to end up with you

**Author's Note:**

> this first part has been sitting in my google docs for months and i realized this was better to just write and post in parts. the title comes from the song lover, by taylor swift. feel free to comment and leave kudos :)

There was a slight shift at the foot of the bed.

The sheets shuffled as something, _someone_ crawled their way between his and Cuddy’s bodies. House opened his eyes just as Lucy’s hands found his face, his own blue eyes staring back at him between intensely furrowed brows.

“Daddy.” She whispered quietly, her little hands carefully cradling his cheeks.

“What’s up, Luce?” He responded, groggily.

“I sleep here?”

“Yeah, you can sleep with us tonight.”

He shifted so that she could bury herself against his side, sandwiching herself into the already nonexistent space there had been between him and Cuddy. 

They had moved Lucy into her own room almost three weeks ago.

When she was born she had spent the first six months in his and Cuddy’s bedroom before they had set her up to share a room with Rachel. As she had just turned three, it was time to try a room of her own. 

It had been successful thus far, with only a few attempts at sneaking into their bed. They typically resulted in whichever parent noticed their newest roommate carrying her back to her room and sleeping in her bed with her. 

It was usually House.

Tonight would be different as Lucy’s bed was low to the ground on the off chance she rolled off of it and it was a pain in the ass for House to get up from; he’d rather deal with Cuddy’s wrath in the morning for breaking a good habit than deal with the extra strain on his leg. He had to choose his battles and when it came between his leg and his girlfriend — Cuddy was always the easiest fix. 

“G’nite.” Lucy murmured as she cuddled herself against his chest.

“Night, Luce.” 

* * *

“Mom…. _mommy._ ” 

Cuddy shifted towards the voice before opening her eyes. 

“What’s wrong, Rach?” She asked in concern as she sat up, furrowing her brows as she wondered why her seven year old was up at three in the morning. 

“I had a bad dream.”

“Alright, climb in.” 

“There won’t be any space, Lucy’s sleeping between you and House.” Rachel responded, stomping her foot as she whined. 

Cuddy looked behind her, realizing that their three year old had been snoring into House’s side while they slept. She rolled her eyes, knowing that this would become a habit if they let it happen again.

“This is a big bed, there’s plenty of space.” She retorted as she laid back down and pulled the covers back, patting the space beside her. “Get in between me and your sister, we’ll keep the bad dreams away.”

She watched as Rachel climbed into bed with them, careful not to wake her sister before wrapping herself around her mother.

“Mommy’s got you.” Cuddy said quietly as she kissed the top of her eldest daughter’s head as Rachel buried her face into her shoulder. 

* * *

It was half past nine when House awoke again, completely surprised to find that not only was Cuddy still in bed, but Rachel had joined them as well. 

Cuddy’s hand had found itself to the edge of his pillow in her sleep and he reached for it, pressing his lips against it before gently caressing her fingers.

He watched as she opened her eyes, pulling her out of his and bringing it to his face.

“I’m surprised you’re still in bed.”

“It’s Sunday. I wanted to spend a little extra time cuddling my kids, even if that makes it hard to cuddle my boyfriend, is that too much to ask?” She responded, caressing his cheek with her thumb. 

“Great thing that you want to cuddle our kids so badly, means you can’t be upset about waking up to Lucy in our bed since Rachel’s in here too.”

“She had a nightmare, what’s your excuse?”

“My leg hurt.”

He watched as Cuddy’s face softened as she sat up, careful not to wake either one of the girls.

“You okay?” 

“I’m good, I promise. Just didn’t want to have trouble getting out of Lucy’s bed.”

“She has got you wrapped around her finger, you know that right?”

“Wonder who she learned it from.” He responded before gingerly prying Lucy off of his side and sitting up. “She clings to me just like you do too.” 

“She’s a daddy’s girl.”

“Through and through.”

House stood from the bed, taking a moment to steady himself.

“I said I was fine, Cuddy.” He sighed as he heard the bed shift, knowing she was getting out of bed as well. 

“I didn’t say anything!”

“I could hear your eyebrow furrowing from my side of the bed.” He retorted eyes rolling as he headed towards the bathroom.

“I’m sorry. I trust you when you say you’re fine. I just worry because I love you.” She replied as they came to head in the doorway. 

“I know.” He nodded in response as he avoided her gaze.

They had been together nearly five years and at times it still struck him how unbelievable it was that the tiny brunette before him had given him the benefit of the doubt. She had given him the things he had never thought he had wanted or had even imagined he was capable of having. She had willingly settled down and created a life with him. Cuddy had given him two beautiful daughters that he would fight tooth and claw for. Most importantly, she had given him forgiveness, time and time again, even when he thought he didn’t deserve it. That was why she was the only person worth spending the rest of his life with. 

“We can have some us time after we put the girls to bed tonight. Take a bath to relax before we start the new week.” Cuddy suggested bringing a hand up to his bicep.

There was a time when he would recoil at another’s touch — a subconscious reaction stemming from the years of abuse he had received from his father as a child. It had taken him years of therapy to unlearn that reaction, to realize that as unwilling as he was to trust others, no one could ever hold that sort of power over him ever again. 

Physical touch was Cuddy’s love language and there was no one in the world whose touch could bring House more comfort than hers. 

He nodded in response before tilting her chin up to give her a soft kiss on the lips. 

There was a whispered “ewww” and the sound of giggling.

“Good morning to you too, girls.” Cuddy said as she turned to look at their kids. “Get out of bed and go brush your teeth. We’ll make breakfast in a bit.” 

“ _We’ll_ make breakfast? You mean I’ll make breakfast while you sit there and look pretty?” He responded, raising an eyebrow as he headed towards his side of the bathroom sink.

“You don’t like being helped when you’re cooking! All you ever need is a taste tester and a dishwasher and we both know I’d rather do that than slave over a hot stove. It’s nice to have the roles reversed.” She chuckled in response.

“This is why you have more cavities than I do — all this talking and no teeth brushing.” House retorted as he reached for his toothbrush, chuckling as he watched her roll her eyes before joining him at the sink.

* * *

Cuddy leaned against the door frame of Lucille’s room, quietly watching as House read to her. 

“No eggs! Cried Farmer Brown. In the background he heard them. Click, clack, MOOOOO. Click, clack, MOOOO. Clickety, clack, MOOOOOOOO.”

She bit her tongue in attempts to keep her from laughing at House’s exaggerating mooing. Lucy was eating it up, her giggles filling the room.

Her favorite part of every night was hearing House read to the girls before bed. He would read a different story to Lucy every night before she would come in and tuck her in. Then he would go into Rachel’s room and read the next chapter of whatever book they were reading together and she would join them at the end to put her to bed. The girls preferred that he was the one to read to them and Cuddy completely agreed with them -- House was far more entertaining than she could ever be and she was okay with that. She had always known he was a child at heart but it showed when he read these stories about cows using a typewriter or _The Adventures of Captain Underpants_ , the latter of which she thought was incredibly stupid but it Rachel loved the damn books. She wasn’t going to deprive her eldest child of something that made her happy just because she didn’t understand it, especially not when it gave her an opportunity to watch two of her favorite people bond. 

House was an incredible father. He was just so _good_ with the girls. Cuddy had always known he was softer around kids but getting to witness it everyday was different. He was on top of their needs. He was understanding with them when they were having a tantrum; he never raised his voice at them even when she knew he was frustrated. He was trying so goddamn hard to make sure these girls had a childhood that was nothing like his. 

She was so incredibly grateful to have him as her partner — as the man she had settled down with and created a home and a family with. It had taken them so long to get to this point but there was nothing in the world that would ever be more precious to her than their family. 

Cuddy watched as House closed the book after finishing it, placing aside.

“Alright, Luce, your mom’s ready to tuck you in.” He said as he looked over to her. “You’ve got your bear, right?” 

“His name’s Beary.” 

“Yeah, very original kid. I gotta go read to your sister.”

“G’night daddy.” 

She watched as Lucy wrapped her arms around House’s neck.

“Night, Lucy.” He responded, as he held her against his chest. 

“Love you!” The three year old said as she pulled away, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“Love you too, kid.” 

Cuddy watched as he ruffled their daughter’s hair, kissing her forehead before standing.

“She’s all yours.” He said as he passed her in the doorway. 

* * *

“Now, I know you’re probably wondering why I gathered you here today.” House said as Wilson and Thirteen joined him in the hospital parking garage. 

“Yes, considering you made me clear the rest of my afternoon for whatever shenanigans you’re about to get into.” Wilson replied, hands on his hips. 

“I will tell you more in detail in the car. Can’t risk any other ears hearing my grand scheme.” He retorted as he led them to his car. 

“I know you got this car right before Lucille was born, but it is still so bizarre seeing that black SUV in your parking spot on most days.” 

“Cuddy wouldn’t let me get two sidecars for my bike so I had to settle.” 

He clicked the key fob and watched as his car came to life.

“And before either one of you asks, no we can’t move one of the car seats.”

“Then Wilson’s sitting bitch and I’ve got shotgun.” Thirteen responded as she reached the passenger door.

“Your hips are smaller than mine! You can squeeze between a booster seat and a carseat with no problem!”

“My legs are longer than yours, I’m not sitting back there to have my knees up to my chin.”

“Now, now children stop bickering. Wilson, you can take the trunk if it’s that serious.”

House unlocked the doors and climbed in, smirking as he watched through the rearview mirror as Wilson struggled to fit himself between the car seats.

“Why can’t we just take one of the seats out until we’re done with whatever the hell it is you’re up to?” Wilson asked in irritation as he leaned an arm behind one of the seats in attempts to make himself more comfortable.

“Cause it’s illegal to have a child in the car without a carseat? I may be reckless when it comes to myself, but I’ll be damned if I put either one of the girls in danger.” He responded as he backed out of his space.

“We’re picking up the girls?” Thirteen asked from beside him, raising an eyebrow.

“They have a half day, that’s why I was leaving early regardless.”

“So we’re picking up the girls and then what?” Wilson asked, popping his head between the two front seats like a dog, not wanting to be excluded from the conversation.

“We’re going to the jewelers.”

“Oh my god, it’s about fucking time!” Thirteen exclaimed as she punched him in the shoulder. 

“Her birthday’s coming up and somehow Arlene and Julia have bullied her into having brunch with them a few days beforehand since it’s in the middle of the week, so I figure I’d really give them something to talk about.”

“I think I might actually cry.” Wilson said from the backseat. House rolled his eyes in response. 

“This is big. The Gregory House, about to become an engaged man...who would have thought!”

“It’s cute that you’re acting like all public perceptions of me _didn’t_ change when Lucille was born.”

“People still think you’re an asshole. Just a little less so when they see you walking towards Cuddy’s office with Rachel’s backpack slung over your shoulder because she’s running through the lobby and Lucy’s hand in yours.”

“You just proved my point. My reputation has gone from lonely miserable drug addled jackass to just jackass.”

“That’s what one would call _growth._ Have you told your mother yet? She’s going to be thrilled.” Thirteen remarked as House’s cell phone started ringing. He watched as “Baby mama” came up on the screen in the center console.

“If either one of you makes a single sound I’m pulling over and you can walk back.” He warned before answering the call.

“So that board meeting I was supposed to be having right now was pushed back until four —“

“I’ll make dinner for the girls and then I’ll let them have some screen time when you get home so you and I can eat together.”

“I don’t know what I would do without you.”

House could almost hear her smiling through the phone.

“Tell the girls I love them.”

“You got it.”

“I’ll see you at home, love you.”

“Love you too.” He replied before disconnecting the call. 

“See, _growth_. Five years ago you would have never let us hear you sincerely say those words to anyone, nonetheless Cuddy.” Thirteen teased from beside him.

“I invited you with me to go pick out an engagement ring. That in and of itself is proof of the growth.” 

He pulled into the pick-up line at Crestwood and put his car in park. 

“You two staying here or coming with?” 

“I’ll stay and make sure you don’t get a ticket...besides it was hard enough squeezing between these seats so I’d rather avoid doing it again.”

“I’m not gonna get a ticket on account of my good old handicap placard! Also, we spent almost forty grand on tuition this year because Lucy’s in a head start program, so I can and will park as I please.” He retorted, pushing open the driver's side door.

“I’ll come with.” 

House watched as Thirteen joined him at the front of the car.

“Forty grand, huh?” 

“If it were up to me they’d be going to public school. Cuddy and I went to public school and we turned out fine. Hell, I went to six different high schools, I turned out great!”

Deep down House was glad that the girls would grow up with the consistency of going to the same school for their education. He had hated the instability that came with having a father in the military. It was rare that they were ever stationed somewhere for longer than a year. Sometimes it was six months. Always just long enough for him to have barely adjusted to the new school. He was more than happy to ensure the girls had an upbringing that was nothing like his own.

“You know where Lucy’s classroom is. Go in there and get her, she’ll be psyched to see you.”

“Well, godmother duties have indeed made me aware of where her classroom is. They’re not going to think I’m kidnapping her, right?”

“Oh shut up, you’ve picked her up before.”

“With you guys warning them in advance!”

“If anything comes up I’ll be down the hall. You’re a big girl, you’ve got this.” House shrugged before making his way towards Rachel’s classroom.

* * *

It had been half past six by the time they had managed to set aside their grievances and call the board meeting quits — they would reconvene on Monday morning. It was Friday and what she and everyone else had wanted most was to go home. She had left the hospital soon after but for some godforsaken reason majority of the streets that led her home had been sectioned off for a foot race the following morning. The most irritating part of it all was that it turned her usual fifteen minute commute into almost an hour because the road blockages had caused an unusual amount of traffic.

It was pushing eight o’clock by the time she got home, almost time for the girls to go to bed. Their usual bedtime during weekdays was seven-thirty but on Fridays it was eight-thirty. She hated that she was getting home so close to their bedtime. 

Cuddy pulled into the driveway and took a second to compose herself. It was the weekend — if she wanted to spend more time with the girls then they could break routine and throw the usual bedtime out of the window. Routines were meant to be broken; she had learned that from House. She took a deep breath, turned off the ignition, and headed inside.

“Mommy!” 

The moment she pushed the door open she was greeted by both of her girls, Rachel hugging her waist and Lucy hugging her legs. She dropped her purse before dropping to her knees, pulling both of them into a tight hug.

“My girls. I’m so happy to be home because that means I get to be with you.” She said as she kissed both of their faces. 

She always wanted to make sure that her daughters knew how much she loved them; that they never felt like she favored one over the other. She never wanted to make her daughters feel the way her mother made her feel when she was growing up. They were always going to be more than enough for her and she was going to do her hardest to make sure they knew that and never doubted it. She held the embrace a little longer before letting go of the girls and standing, stepping out of her heels and hanging her coat on one of the hooks near the door.

“I made your favorite.” House called from the kitchen.

She walked into the kitchen, finding him in front of the stove, having just pulled two dishes out of the oven. 

Cuddy walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his chest from behind, resting her face against his back.

“How did you know that French onion soup was just what I needed?” 

“Because I know you, baby.” 

She chuckled at the change in his tone as he finished his sentence — he was never one for pet names but the usage of _baby_ had always been a joke to him. There would always be a drop in his voice when he said it and it never failed to make her chuckle.

House took both of her hands in his before turning to face her. She couldn’t resist the urge to hug him, pressing her face against his chest just as she had been doing against his back.

“You okay?” He asked, and she could picture his eyebrow furrowing in concern as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“I just missed you.” 

She never felt more loved than when he had his arms around her. To everyone outside of their immediate circle House was still dark and broody. He was a complex man, she would never deny that, but he was also so full of love for those who mattered to him, even if it was sometimes hard for him to show. She had witnessed him go through so much growth in the last five years and she was so grateful to have been present for it. 

“Come on, let's have dinner and then screw around with the girls when we’re done. It’s a long weekend. I know they missed you, so I think you’ll be all for the break in routine tonight.”

It was uncanny how at times he could know just what she needed without her having to say a single word about it. 

Cuddy pulled away from him, bringing her hand up to his cheek and cupping it.

“Thank you, for everything that you do for me and our girls.”

“There’s no one else I’d do it for.”

* * *

They were in the bathtub together, Cuddy’s back to his chest and his head resting on her shoulder. It was almost two a.m. and they had just put the girls to bed almost an hour ago, letting them stay up way past their usual bedtimes. It was clear to House that what Cuddy needed most at the moment was some time with the girls. He had watched as Cuddy colored with the girls, guiding Lucille’s small hands to help her stay within the lines. Then they’d given the girls a bath before getting into bed and putting in a movie, the girls laying in the middle of their bed. 

The movie of choice was _The Aristocats,_ one of Cuddy’s favorites. It was the girls’ first time watching it and when Rachel noted that Duchess and O’Malley reminded her of her parents, neither one of them could help but laugh. 

House has to admit she was right. O’Malley the alley cat was just as beat up as he was and Duchess was ever as demure as Cuddy herself was. It was a fitting observation. 

By the time the movie had ended both girls were struggling to stay awake and they’d put them to bed, skipping the nightly story routine. 

Now it was just the two of them, enjoying the other’s company in the stillness of the night.

“Thank you. For tonight. I really needed that.” Cuddy said as she leaned her face against his. 

“I have something for you.” 

“Oh, god.” He could hear the smile in her voice.

“Don’t look.” House said as he draped his arm over the side of the bathtub and reached for his discarded jeans. He had managed to slip the blue box into his pocket when he came into the bathroom to prepare their bath. He pulled the box out and opened, pulling the ring out before slipping his hand back into the water.

“What are you doing?” She asked as he ran his hand along her arm before bringing it to her left hand. House could feel a lump form in his throat as he slipped the ring onto her finger.

“I am an asshole.” He began quietly resting his head back on her shoulder, as he wrapped his fingers around hers and brought their hands out from under the suds and water, giving her a glimpse of the ring.

“Oh my god.” She responded, bringing her free hand to her mouth. 

“I can be insensitive at times and a fucking jerk when I’m having a bad day pain wise...but you actively choose to stick with me, even on the days where I’m insufferable...and that’s not an easy feat. You make me a better man. I know I don’t say it very often, but goddamn it Cuddy, you’re the love of my life...You and our girls are the reason I get up in the morning. I’m never going to feel what I feel for you with anybody else. This can’t be forced... I know we’re already shacked up and we’ve got two kids, and like you said, what we have is uncommon but I’ve never been happier. The only thing that would make me happier would be getting to call you my wife. Will you marry me?”

Cuddy shifted so that she was fully facing him, cradling his face between both of her hands, eyes brimming with tears.

“Yes. A thousand times yes.” She responded nodding. 

House wrapped his arms around her as she pressed her lips to his, smiling against his mouth.

“There is _nothing_ that would make me happier than being your wife.” She pressed her forehead against his as he brushed the tears off of her cheeks with his thumb.

“Never gonna love anyone the way I love you. I mean it.”

“I’m so grateful that you’re the father of my girls. There’s no one else I would have ever wanted to settle down with. I love you so much...and this ring, this ring is perfect.”

“I know you like to come off as modest, that’s why it’s just one diamond.”

“Yeah, because the size of it is just _so_ modest. It has to be at least two carats.”

“It’s exactly two. I saw this ring and it just reminded me of you. I thought that the fact that it had six prongs was also really fitting for our weird little family unit. Us, the girls, and their uncle Wilson and aunt Thirteen. The four of them were actually with me when I bought the ring earlier today.”

“Did you plan this on a whim?”

“No. I’ve always known you’d be the only woman I would ever propose to, it was just a matter of getting the ring.”

“I’m really happy.” She responded, intertwining their fingers.

“Me too.”

Admitting happiness was not something that came easily to him, but he wouldn’t deny himself in accepting this moment.

“We should probably get out of the bath. It’s way past our bedtime.”

“Oh please, as if we’re going to get much sleep anyway.” House chuckled before hauling himself out of the bath and grabbing a towel.

* * *

“Hi, sorry I’m late. Lucy fell and scraped her knee and she wouldn’t stop crying and she wouldn’t let go of me so I had to wait until she calmed down before I could leave.” Cuddy said as she joined her mother and sister at the table they were seated at. She noted the pitcher of mimosas was already half empty and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. 

“A text or a phone call would have been nice.” Arlene responded, rolling her eyes.

Cuddy bit her tongue instead of giving in. She wasn’t there to argue. She was there to have brunch with her mother and sister and get out of there as soon as she could.

“So what’s new? Julia, how are the boys? Mom, how’s canasta?” She said reaching for the half empty mimosa pitcher and pouring herself a glass.

“What the hell is that on your finger?” Her older sister exclaimed, reaching for her left hand. “He finally proposed!?”

“‘I don’t see why he’s bothering to buy the cow when he’s been getting the milk for free for the better part of a decade.” 

Cuddy rolled her eyes at her mother’s remark. She had been hesitant to wear the ring to brunch with them but after talking it through with House, she thought it was best to just get it over with and let them figure it out on their own. She purposely hadn’t made a fuss about changing any relationship statuses online from ‘in a relationship’ to ‘engaged’ because of the earful she would get from her mother. When it came to their everyday lives, everyone at the hospital knew. The moment one of the nurses had gotten a glimpse of the ring on her finger that previous Monday morning, it was game over — the entire hospital had known by noon and her inbox was flooded with congratulatory emails. That was the thing about PPTH — as much of a gossip mill as it was when it came to everyone’s personal lives, there was always a genuine air of excitement when something good happened. 

She just wished that the same could be said about her family.

“I wish I could say I was surprised at your response, Mom, but you’ve always made it clear that how I live my life will never be good enough for you because I didn’t follow the conventional path. I didn’t come here to get into an argument, I came to brunch to let you guys know in person as opposed to an impersonal text message or email, since I know how much you hate that. Anyway, to answer your question Julia, yes, House proposed.”

Over the years one of the greatest lessons she had learned from being with House was the importance of standing up to her mother — mainly because if she didn’t stand up for herself, House would, and she knew her barbs at her mother had significantly less chances of causing WWIII. 

“When!?”

“About a week ago... It was a quiet night in, just the two of us and the girls. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

“Have you chosen a date yet?”

“No, not yet. We don’t know what we’re doing yet. We might just go down to the courthouse with the girls. Whatever we end up doing will be something small and intimate. You know me, never one for the big show of it all.”

“That ring says otherwise.”

“I know, right? It’s perfect though.”

“Well, I’m really happy for you. I know mom is too, she’s just mad that she can’t make digs at you being a spinster anymore.”

“Of course I’m happy for her. I don’t have to worry about her ending up alone.”

“We’ve been together five years and are raising two kids together — I was never going to end up alone. House and I have something that is bigger than us, and it’s something that would find a way to bring us back to one another no matter what happened between us. We will always be willing to do what it takes in order for us to make sure we have a stable relationship not only for ourselves, but for our girls as well. I shouldn’t have to explain that to you.” 

“House is the only man who would ever be able to handle you as his partner. I’m happy that you’re with someone who challenges you and helps you be better. Lord knows before you two got together you never had the spine to talk back to me like you do now, and I’m glad that you do. I know that man loves you and those girls more than he loves himself. I see it in the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is watching him and in the way those little girls light up when he walks into the room. You’re right. You didn’t take the conventional path to getting where you are now, but what matters is that you got it. Why would I ever oppose that?”

“I don’t know why you couldn’t just say that from the get-go.” Cuddy sighed, taking a sip of her mimosa. “You mixed this, didn’t you? It’s 99% champagne.”

“Oh loosen up a bit, one glass of champagne won’t hurt you. Especially if you eat something other than the fruit salad you usually eat. Get a crepe or something, for god’s sake.”

It was taking everything in her to resist the urge to just up and leave. If she got through this brunch, she wouldn’t have to see her mother again until Julia’s birthday in April. She took a deep breath before chugging the rest of her drink.

“Happy now?”

“Atta girl.”

* * *

“The best way to eat a sandwich is when it’s cut diagonally.” House said through a mouthful of bread as he placed a plate in front of each of the girls at the kitchen table. 

“Why?” Rachel asked as she lifted the top piece of bread from her sandwich and examined its contents.

House shook his head, knowing that she was looking for pickles. One bad experience when they had gone out for dinner months ago and a stray pickle had found itself in her burger had left the poor kid scarred. They didn’t even keep them in the house.

“Science says they taste better that way...Did you find any pickles?” 

“Nope!”

“And you never will.” He reassured as he sat down at the end of the table with his own plate. 

“Lucy, do you need your sandwich to be cut into smaller pieces?” 

House chuckled as the three year old tried to take a bite out of her sandwich only to completely miss her mouth and end up with mayonnaise up her nose.

“No…”

“Are you sure?” 

“No…”

“So you want it smaller?”

“Yes.” She responded with a dramatic sigh. 

“Alright, I’ll be right back.”

Lucy’s flair for dramatics was his doing — he would never deny that. He had been terrified of becoming a father, of somehow fucking it up, but so far he had loved every second of it. His girls had taught him more patience than he ever thought possible to experience and he knew it was because he wanted to be as different from his own father as humanly possible. His father had been cold, abusive. One screw up would have him sleeping in the yard after getting screamed at or worse — beaten. 

At seven and three, the girls were still so young. There was no reason for them to ever be yelled at for screwing up. They were going to screw up all the time. It was his job as their father to ensure that when they screwed up, they were able to understand why what they did was wrong without being terrified of committing the same mistake again. He could never justify raising his voice at one of them and the few times he had — he wasn’t perfect — he made sure to do what his father never did. Apologize. He wasn’t going to raise daughters that would one day resent him for the way he treated them as children. 

“Smaller triangles.” He said as he returned from the kitchen and set the plate back down in front of Lucy. House watched her take a bite without an issue. 

“Better.” She said happily, taking another bite of her finger sandwich. 

“You’re welcome.” He responded as he grabbed a napkin and wiped the mayonnaise off of her nose. ¨Your mom should be coming back from her brunch with your grandma and aunt soon, so when we’re done with lunch, you two need to pick up your toys. I don’t want her to walk into a messy house.”

¨What’s brunch?” Rachel asked, picking at the remainder of her sandwich.

“It’s when both breakfast and lunch are on the menu but it’s not exactly lunch time but it’s not exactly time for breakfast over.” 

“Can we have brunch at home?”

“We can have brunch at home, but maybe next weekend. I’m sure your mom is all brunched out this week and just wants to have a regular Sunday breakfast tomorrow. Is that okay?”

“Yes!” 

“Alright, go write it on the calendar on the fridge. If you’re done eating you know what to do with your plate.” 

He watched as Rachel hopped off of the chair and grabbed her plate, stopping at her sister’s chair. 

“Are you done Lucy?” 

Lucy shoved the last piece of her sandwich into her mouth before nodding. 

“Fank you!” She said through a mouthful of bread as her older sister took her plate. 

House couldn’t help but shake his head, smiling. 

Those girls were everything to him.

“Get a head start on picking up your toys.” He said to Lucy as he finished his own lunch and discarded his paper plate in the trash. He watched as she hopped off of the chair and ran towards the living room. Three hours earlier she had been screaming at the top of her lungs because she had fallen in the yard and scraped her knee, now here she was having completely forgotten about it. 

The front door opened and he could hear Cuddy’s footsteps as she walked down the entryway and into the kitchen.

He was drying his hands with a dish towel as she stopped beside him, leaning against the counter.

“That bad, huh?” He asked, putting a hand on her hip and pulling her to him so that they were side to side.

“I think it could have been worse.” She responded, gaze on the floor.

“What did she say to you?”

“Nothing.” 

House watched as Cuddy tilted her head away from him and her eyebrow arched — one of several tells, but the one of when something was really bothering her.

“She clearly said something to you that you didn’t like.”

“It’s not that I didn’t like what she said to me. It’s just that it wasn’t anything like what I would have expected from her.” 

“Cuddy, what the hell did she say to you?” He asked, furrowing his brow in concern, his hand giving her hip a gentle squeeze. 

“She said that my being with you has made me better. That there’s no one else who would’ve been able to handle me, or challenge me like you do. That because of you, I’ve learned to stand up for myself, especially when it comes to her. That she can see that you love me and our girls more than you love yourself… It’s just so grounding to hear that from her, especially that she sees that in the little time she sees us throughout the year.”

“You told me I made you better two weeks into us being together, are you really surprised your mother noticed it five years deep into our relationship? I can’t just take from you and not give you anything back. I’m not some emotional vampire. If being with me means you can stand up for yourself a little more, that’s great, but you didn’t need me to do that beforehand. I’ve always been in your corner, even though you’ve rarely needed me there.”

“I always need you there.” She said, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her face against his chest.

“And I’m always here.” House responded, wrapping his arms around her in turn and resting his chin on top of her head. “And I always will be, that’s why I put a ring on it.”

“Yeah, five years later.” She retorted and he could hear the smile in her voice. 

“Hey, I can take the ring back.”

“Yeah, over my dead body.”

* * *

“Where’s the guest list?” 

“House, we’ve already cut it down the most it can be cut down.” 

“I’m not cutting it down. I’m sending out our save the date email.”

House dropped down beside her on the couch and before she could stop him, he was pulling her macbook from her lap and into his own. Cuddy scooted over so that she was pressed against his side and rested her head against his shoulder, watching as he pulled up the folder with all of the wedding planning thus far. 

Most women would balk at the idea of letting their significant other go through their laptop. She herself had been one of those women during the first year of their relationship to the point where House had even stolen her laptop in order to read her journal. Was it childish and an invasion of privacy? Yes, but as their relationship progressed she realized that she needed to trust him implicitly. There was no reason to ever hide anything from him. They had both grown as people together, and one of the things House had grown most with was how willing he was to resolve an issue soon after it arose. They didn’t smother one another when there was a problem. They would give the other space and then they would talk it out. They tried their hardest to never go to bed angry at one another. 

Their relationship wasn’t perfect -- no relationship was; but they were constantly proving to one another that they were in this for life. 

She watched as he imported the contact info from their guest list into a blank email template. Cuddy rolled her eyes as she watched him type up the email.

**SAVE THE DATE — HOUSE & CUDDY GET HITCHED**

_Hello family, colleagues, and Wilson,_

_As you may or may not already know from the very elaborate updating of our relationship status on Facebook, Cuddy and I are to be wed. That’s right, I, Gregory House, will be taking she, Lisa Cuddy, as my lawfully wedded wife._

_That being said, the unholy event will be taking place 12/31/2016. Invitations will be sent out accordingly via snail mail._

_With most insincere regards,_

_House_

“You can’t just send our save the dates as an email.”

“Yes I can, watch me.” He responded as he pressed send. “No need to waste trees or money on them when you know you’re going to send out actual invitations. This was a courtesy at best.”

“You’re right, there’s no reason to add more onto our plate than we already have on it.” She replied, pulling her laptop out of his lap, shutting it, and setting it on the coffee table. She climbed into his lap, straddling him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

“It’s been a while since we had sex on the couch.” House said as his hands moved down to grip her hips.

“I know.” She responded, leaning forward and kissing his neck. 

“The girls are asleep?” He asked, sliding his hands up and under her sweater.

“Yes.” She murmured against his neck before she pulled away. She pulled the oversized sweater she was wearing over her head and discarded it beside them on the couch, leaving her clad in just her panties.

“Braless? You sneaky little nympho.” House replied, bringing his mouth to one of her breasts. 

“I didn’t want to be uncomfortable while just lounging around.” She said before reaching her hands down between them, finding the button of his jeans, unbuttoning them and pulling down the zipper. She slid a hand into his boxers and slowly ran her fingers along his cock, smirking as House shifted his hips up towards her, his teeth grazing her nipple. 

“I love how easy it is to get you hard.” She mumbled as she ran her thumb over the tip of his hardening cock, feeling it twitch against her palm.

“It’s only easy because it’s you.” He responded, pulling away from her breasts and pulling her down to kiss him. “You bend over and my cock twitches.” 

“Thanks.” She said, laughing against his mouth as she shifted in his lap so that she could pull him out of his boxers. House pushed her panties aside and brushed his thumb against her clit before guiding himself into her. 

“Fuuuck.” He murmured as she buried her face into his neck, muffling a whine of pleasure. She rolled her hips against his as his hands gripped her sides. House brought his fingers into her hair and brought her face to his. She brought a hand up to cup his cheek as she rode him, panting against his mouth. 

“I’m so glad that you’re mine and only mine.” 

“I’ve been yours since Michigan."


End file.
